Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede, Kolkata (2026): Deaths and Ex Gratia Relief
Crowd crush at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata on the evening of 17 October 2026; most of the dead were women and children. Police detained 12 people, including puja organisers. The Chief Minister ordered a Special Investigation Team headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court and a review of safety at major pandals across the State, and began handing the ex gratia to families on 20 October 2026.
What happened
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 Oct 2026 |
| Place | Kolkata, West Bengal |
| Kind | Accident: Stampede |
| Deaths | 19 |
| Injured | 25 |
Ex gratia relief announced
| Paying government | Per death | Injury relief | Sanctioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government of West Bengal (State) A government job for one member of each bereaved family; the State also bears the treatment costs of the injured. | Rs 25 lakh | Injured: Rs 5 lakh x 25 | Rs 6.00 crore |
| Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (Centre) | Rs 2 lakh | Injured: Rs 50,000 x 25 | Rs 0.51 crore |
Total sanctioned: Rs 6.50 crore. Reported as paid: No payment figure has been made public yet.
Sources
Other relief records in West Bengal
Disaster and accident relief register · SDRF and NDRF relief norms
Sanctioned amount = announced rate x reported victims. Injury relief is counted only where the number of injured is on record. Payments by companies and parties are not included.